VEGASDAZE BLOG

Taking the confusion out of Vegas and Maui

If you’re visiting Las Vegas or Maui and looking for something fun, exciting and adventurous to do, you've come to the right place. We talk about the hidden treasures to be discovered in the Aloha State and Glitter Gulch. You’ll also find useful tips and tidbits to make your vacation more enjoyable. Take it from our gurus, who have experienced it all from a traveler’s point of view. Start your Las Vegas and Maui adventures today!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Who
can pick just pick just five things to put on a Vegas to do list while visiting Vegas?
Narrowing it down to five would mean missing out on something! Here’s what I’ll
do… I’ll put a “few more” than five on this list BUT I’ll put them in order or
priority. That way, if you get to one and think, “That sounds like the worst
idea ever”, you still have some more to move on to. Yes, I know. I’m nice. It’s
a curse really.

Photo Courtesy of Marco Verch

Tour the Strip, a.k.a. Las Vegas
Blvd, should be added to your Vegas to do list! It is jam packed with everything “Vegas”. You’ll spend hours touring the
hotels and casinos taking in the glitz and glamor. Huge buildings, neon signs
larger than life, restaurants and bars, street performers, shops, chapels, and
tattoo parlors.

Go Shopping. The Forum Shops at
Caesars and the Grand Canal Shops at Venetian can be tied into your time
exploring the Strip. Hundreds of boutiques and restaurants line an extravagantly
decorated mall, adding some gusto to your shopping experience.

Photo Courtesy of Sandro Menzel

See Absinthe. It’s a little bit
dirty and whole lot of fun! It’s acrobatics and comedy and some audience involvement.
The small venue makes it all the better!

Visit the Valley of
Fire.
Have some fun riding ATVs around these well-known dunes! Let your hair down and
have some dirty fun while soaking up the beauty of desert.

Take a gondola ride as part of your Vegas to do list. Ride a
traditional gondola while being serenaded as you float down the river and under
the bridges. A truly magical and fun experience.

Photo Courtesy of Joseph Hunkins

Visit Fremont
Street.
Fremont Street is the original Las Vegas. Where neon has replaced light bulbs
on the Strip, this part of Vegas holds on to nostalgia (somewhat). There’s
plenty of cheap eats and entertainment on Fremont Street. You’ll likely spot an
Elvis, a tin man, and a man doing spray paint art while enjoying bands playing
on the intermittent stages.

Enjoy Lake Mead. This man-made lake
houses the River Mountains and the Muddy Mountains. It is nothing less than jaw
dropping and provides a great photo op for photographers! If you do love
photography and want to get some good shots AND a little workout, the historic
railroad tunnel trail is 4.4 miles of old railroad bed turned trail, that
tunnel through volcanic rock, reaching all the way to Hoover Dam.

See Hoover Dam. Lake Mead Nevada
is the home to Hoover Dam. It took six companies, five years of working 24
hours around the clock to complete this feat! What a grueling task! It is
absolutely amazing to descend down the shaft and get a look at the interior
workings of such an architectural anomaly.

Watch the Bellagio
Fountains.
By now you’ve walked by and caught glimpses of the fountain show but you HAVE
to see it at night! It fills up the sky with dancing lights and twisting
waters. It’s far beyond anything you’d expect from an ordinary “fountain”!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

HOT. That is how to describe Las Vegas
during the day. Your first thought is to hit the pool…any pool will do…big or small as long as
it is filled with cool water and the cold beverages are plentiful. Ok, fine, it’s
a decent way to spend the day BUT you’re totally missing out on some fun things to do during the day in Las Vegas!

Horseback riding WILL induce
EXTREME enjoyment. The one hour tour of Red Rock Canyon called The Ol’ Spanish
Trail Horseback Ride and Lunch will take you down the Ol’ Spanish Trail that
stretched from Santa Fe to Pueblo de Los Angeles in the mid 1800’s. Once you return,
you’ll stop to enjoy an authentic “cowperson” lunch ;)

A
buggy tour through the Valley of
Fire is another one of the awesome things
to do during the day in Las Vegas! Don’t miss out on this one. Sun Buggy Tours will take you through some fun, rough terrain for some off-roading fun! Your safety is not overlooked on this wild and
crazy day tour! You will want to dress in something other than your Sunday best
as this Las Vegas day tour will get you dusty and dirty (isn’t dirty fun always
the best kind?)!

A
helicopter tour is a great way to
experience Las Vegas. The West Rim Express tour is an affordable way to see the
Grand Canyon’s West Rim and the Colorado River during the day. Departing from
the West Rim, this tour soars high above the Grand Canyon before descending
below the canyon walls, where it will land, allowing you to get out for 20
minutes, take in the immense canyon, shoot some photos, or just stretch your
legs… and yes, you MUST get back in the helicopter to get back to up to the top
of the rim… it’s much too steep to climb and the terrain is a “little” rough ;)
I’d definitely recommend this one for one of the things to do during the day in Las Vegas!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

We
want to welcome a new addition to the Las Vegas Strip; SLS Las Vegas, we welcome you! If the
Sahara were a living entity it would be in utter shock. It would see its transformation
and do a double take; it would take some time for it to get used to with its
clean lines, white walls, and new modern feel… but it would love the change!

Why
stay at the SLS Las Vegas? With its
three towers and 1,600 guest rooms you will be with like-minded individuals. The
World Tower, Story Tower, and Lux Tower offer function, partying, and luxury,
respectively. Business folks can get around easy while staying in the World
Tower with its easy hotel access and the hotel’s “mostly” convenient location.

The
décor of the SLS Las Vegas is getting
mixed reviews. I would call it “industrial contemporary”. It’s not for everyone
but it’s very “hipsterish” and fun. It’s high end. There’s a lot of white and a
lot of grey and a lot of very cool art. I’ve heard the word “vertigo” mentioned
several times when referring to the impact of the flooring and wall coverings –
it would really mess with the drunks ;) If you don’t like modern, you won’t like
the SLS Las Vegas.

The
rooms are plain and functional with great attention to detail – although you
might not notice. The look again, is clean. You’re not going to find frilly
mirrors and antiques adorning the suites. You WILL find great toiletries,
fantastically fluffy towels, and bed linens to die for.

There
are a great line up of bars and restaurants. Bazaar Meats is not for you vegans
or vegetarians. Katsuya is geared towards the hipster sushi lovers, Cleo offers Mediterranean cuisine. Wanting something more casual? SLS Las Vegas has a great line up: Umami
Burgers, The Griddle Café and many others…and of course, the buffet. I wonder
what would happen if a hotel/casino in Vegas didn’t put in a buffet?!

You
don’t think I forgot about the gambling, did you? It’s standard Las Vegas.
Tables and machines, machines and tables. The dealers deal cards, the patrons
get drunk and play. There were a few lights and bells going off, there was
shouting at the craps table…BUT with opening, I’m guessing they’ve loosened the
games a little to get the people pouring in. The casino was PACKED – players and
onlookers.

It’ll
take time for the SLS Las Vegas to
build a reputation. You’ll like this hotel or you won’t, there won’t be a whole
lot of “in between”…and if you don’t like it then chances are, the hotel wasn’t
marketing your demographic anyway!

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